Preaching & Preachers

For the past several months, I have been reading Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Preaching & Preachers with several friends. It has been my first exposure to Lloyd-Jones, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Here's a smattering of why it has been so rich:

The prime and greatest need in the pulpit is spiritual authority. (p159)

He quotes Martin Luther as saying:

'When I preach I regard neither doctors nor magistrates, of whom I have about forty in the congregation. I have all my eyes on the servant maids and children. And if the learned men are not well pleased with what they hear, well, the door is open.' (p128)

He has a full understanding of preaching, theology and experience:

[Preaching] is theology on fire. And a theology which does not take fire, I maintain, is a defective theology; or at least the man's understanding of it is defective. Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire. A true understanding and experience of the Truth must lead to this. (p97)

As I've read, I've reflected on why Lloyd-Jones is so refreshing to read. Several reasons are prominent:

1. He believes that unction is as important as preparation, and that the Spirit comes on preachers as they wait on Him and prepare.
2. He commends the study of Revival and the biographies of great Christians to kindle our love for Christ and our expectation of His action.
3. He despises fleshly methods.
4. He contends that the character of the preacher is as important as his preaching.

If you're looking for a great read on preaching, here's a great one.